Cumbrian Lass

After 10yrs in Alberta,we have finally made our minds up to move back to the UK. Although we have made our minds up,we are still scared to death of the move.We have done well in Canada and not regretted it at all,but its never felt that this is our forever home.My OH has always wanted to go back,but i did feel quite settled until a few years ago.I really didnt know where i wanted to move to, as i hadnt been back home for over 5yrs.However i did go back last year and i knew that thats what had been missing.......the people,the country side,the food,the history and most of all family and friends.
I worry about my 13yrs old son fitting in with the UK life,as all he has known is Canada.
I hope that we can decide on a nice area of the North West,and it be smooth sailing after the adjustment period.
Is there anyone that can give me any advice after retuning to the UK?
many thanks

JAJ

Perhaps to state the obvious, but do you have Canadian citizenship? Whatever else occurs, if your son wishes to return to Canada later on and finds out that he can't, it might not have a happy outcome.

Cumbrian Lass

yes we are citizens which is a great bonus for him and us,if things dont work out in the UK

Beedubya

No advice I can give, but I am moving back to the UK in 6 weeks time after 30 years in Australia and I am as scared as all hell but very excited also..........

Milana_Rosemont

I'm so envious, six weeks is like a heartbeat. I'm scared too, but I'm just gonna have to grit my teeth and go back.

As someone who moved from all they had ever known at age 13, I know how your son will be feeling... It's different if you have a family support network though (do you??) He might be excited and happy, but he's likely to be angry, unsettled and resentful. He will probably resent the fact that you're putting and ocean between him and his friends during his crucial teenage years, but in a way he is lucky that he is going to England now. High school is where you make most of your friends, which doesn't help me as I will be virtually friendless when I move back to the UK. No one remembers pre teen friends.

Bevm

I think you said it yourself -- choose a nice area. There are such big differences. However, if your son has cousins of a similar age, it might be good to be close to them. If they get on, that is.

Are you planning on returning to Cumbria?

We moved across Canada when our youngest was about that age and it is tricky, but if he has particular interests that he can pick up in your new home like Tae Kwon Do, or chess, or model trains (do any young people do that any more?), that could help.

Bev

nun

with facebook it will be like your 13 year old never left canada

islandergirl

I moved back to the UK 18 months ago after 12 years in Australia, mostly it's been a really positive experience, and though I miss friends and my Aus lifestyle I have never regretted the decision to come home.

As long as you can roll with it a bit, and accept that some things have changed and that you don't necessarily know how everything works (mortgages, council tax, random stuff like that in my exp) and that there will be a few frustrations en route then you'll get there.

I love being able to see my family regularly and my old friends, and working life here is not so different on a day to day basis (got a similar role).

Weather is crap but 56' North that is to be expected.

burbschook

Hi there. How does your son feel about the move to the UK.? I grew up in Canada. My family immigrated when I was a toddler but at the age of 13 & a half, my parents decided they wanted to go back. I found it very difficult to adjust for a long time. apart from leaving the one horse town (it was then but not now) which was a comfortable environment to me, I left friends I grew up with & a schooling system that suited me fine. I hated the school in England & the other kids were aliens to me. I became disruptive at home & school & many a time I cried myself to sleep. Okay, it probably was on the cards what with the start of terrible teens years but I gave everyone a hard time over it. The minute I could leave school I got a job just to find some direction. The first few years in England were hateful & I wished my parents could have given it a while longer so I could have finished high school. The language might be the same but I found it a powerful culture shock. BTW I was excited at the prospect of going to trendy "all singing all dancing" England but it was nothing like the movies.

Cumbrian Lass

where abouts are you moving back to in the UK ?
do you have any children?

Cumbrian Lass

[QUOTE=Vikkichic;9101697]Hi there. How does your son feel about the move to the UK.? I grew up in Canada. My family immigrated when I was a toddler but at the age of 13 & a half, my parents decided they wanted to go back. I found it very difficult to adjust for a long time. apart from leaving the one horse town (it was then but not now) which was a comfortable environment to me, I left friends I grew up with & a schooling system that suited me fine. I hated the school in England & the other kids were aliens to me. I became disruptive at home & school & many a time I cried myself to sleep. Okay, it probably was on the cards what with the start of terrible teens years but I gave everyone a hard time over it. The minute I could leave school I got a job just to find some direction. The first few years in England were hateful & I wished my parents could have given it a while longer so I could have finished high school. The language might be the same but I found it a powerful culture shock. BTW I was excited at the prospect of going to trendy "all singing all dancing" England but it was nothing like the movies.[/QUOTE
Oh my goodness my heart sank when i read your reply. We are so confused as to what to do!!!
I have a few friends that went back with teenagers recently.It took around 3 months and they are now loving it over there and have no regrets.I would hate to move and your experiance happened to my son........we would be devastated ! i suppose if he was so un-happy after 6 months we could always return for him to finish his schooling here.Thank you for sharing your experiance ]

Cumbrian Lass

Yes thats what all the friends that have recently moved back are saying too !!!! they dont regret it at all.It takes a while to settle back into the way of life and it takes a while for their children to settle at school,but when those hurdles are achieved they luv it!!!!
where abouts did you move back to in the UK?

Cumbrian Lass

Ha ha yes you are right there !!!!! lol

Cumbrian Lass

you will have to let me know how your move went and how you are settling back....

Beedubya

At this stage could be near Heathrow (job) or Cheshire (don't take the job).

My children are fully fledged adults in their 30's now.

We did go back to the UK when they were 12 and 15 and to be honest it was awful, they carried on so much we ended coming back to Australia after one year. Looking back we should have just moved to another part of England but you can't turn back the clock. You see my kids were very much into the beach scene here and we moved back to the grim Northern town where all the family live and they HATED it.

However on talking to my daughter just recently she told me that we shouldn't have listened to them, that we should have stuck it out there and they would have had more family life instead of which we have nobody out here.........see you just can't win..........